Managing environmental tourism in Douglas Shire, North Queensland

Abstract

Douglas Shire Council in Northeast Queensland is a Green Globe 21 Benchmarked community committed to sustainable development. Wet Tropics World Heritage land covers over 80% of the Shire, including the tourist icon of Daintree Cape Tribulation. Douglas Shire aims to reduce resource use by tourism and improve awareness of environmental best practice. To this end, 75 tourism operators in the Shire were surveyed about their environmental management practices. This paper evaluates how Douglas Shire is managing environmental tourism through Local Laws, action plans in the DSC Sustainable Futures Strategy, a water quality improvement plan, waste handling, and environmental communication programs.